Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in southeastern Washington (population in Chelan County was planted); southeastern Washington to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Dry areas, from foothills to middle elevations in the mountains.
Flowers: April-June
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Bumblebees, bees
Intricately branched shrubs or small trees, 1-6 m. tall, the young branches pubescent and reddish, soon becoming glabrous and grayish.
Leaves persistent, the blades narrowly-elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, the margins strongly revolute, becoming linear in outline, 1-3 cm. long and up to 10 mm. broad, dark green above and paler below.
Flowers 1-3 in the leaf axils, sessile; calyx woolly, the tube 4-7 mm. long, the 5 lobes ovate, 1.5-2 mm. long; petals none; stamens 20-30.
Fruit a hairy achene, 5-7 mm. long, the style elongate and plumose, 5-8 cm. long.
Publication: Fl. N. Amer. (Torr. & A. Gray) 1(3): 427 (-428). 1840.
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var. intermontanus – birchleaf mountain-mahogany
Occurring east of the Cascades crest in southeastern Washington (population in Chelan County was planted); southeastern Washington to California, east to Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arizona. -
var. ledifolius – mountain mahogany Occurring east of the Cascades crest in southeastern Washington; southeastern Washington to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Cercocarpus ledifolius in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.
WA Flora Checklist: Cercocarpus ledifolius checklist entry.
OregonFlora: Cercocarpus ledifolius information.
E-Flora BC: Cercocarpus ledifolius atlas page.
CalPhotos: Cercocarpus ledifolius photos.
USDA Plants: Cercocarpus ledifolius information.
